Katherine E. Wood

Katherine E. Wood

A funeral service for Katherine E. Wood, 92, was held at 10 a.m. March 21 at First Congregational Church UCC, with Rev. Charlene Hinckley and Rev. Jug Brandjord officiating. Burial was in the Lusk Cemetery.

Mrs. Wood died March 17 at Shepherd of the Valley Care Center with her children at her side. She was born Oct. 4, 1913, in Lusk to Anton and Gertrude (Larsen) Hansen. She attended rural schools and graduated from Lusk High School in 1930.

At the age of 18, after one year of "normal training" at the University of Wyoming she taught in a small rural school north of Lusk for a year.

In 1932, she married Solomon L. Wood, and for several years lived in various oil field camps within the state.

The couple bought a ranch north east of Lusk, where she devoted her life to her husband and four children for the next ten years.

Upon the death of her husband in 1950, Mrs. Wood moved from the ranch to Lusk, working at a variety of jobs so the older children could finish their high school education.

During that time, she was taking correspondence classes and traveling 60 miles each way, five days a week to Torrington, where she was taking college classes.

In 1956, Mrs. Wood accepted a teaching position at Iowa Center, a rural community outside of Chugwater. She taught there for three years, attending summer school at the University of Wyoming until she obtained her bachelors degree.

In 1959, she moved to Casper and taught at Garfield School for one year and then at Westwood School until 1965.

She then took a year off, returned to the University of Wyoming, and obtained her master's degree in counseling. She returned to Casper, where she was a counselor at Kelly Walsh High School until her retirement in 1976.

Mrs. Wood always was active in her community and devoted much of her time to helping others after her retirement. She was active in her church; was a Pink Lady at the hospital for many years; served on the CATC board and was involved with the Crisis Intervention Hotline.

She also took an active role in Retired Teachers, Business and Professional Women and was on the legislative committee of the AARP. Mrs. Wood was honored many times throughout the years with recognitions for her community service, including two times as Casper BPW Woman of the year.

She loved to travel, and made trips through out the world. Her other loves were her family, gardening, quilting, and sewing. Mrs. Wood loved to help others, and was always there when someone was in need.

Survivors include her children, James N. (Carol) Wood of San Ramon, Calif., Carole B. (Rex) Van Blarcum of Casper, and Janice E. (Michael) Burn of Alcova; 15 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild; two sisters, Marie Golden of Apple Valley, Calif., and Anna Creamer of Albuquerque, N.M.; and many nieces and nephews.

In addition to her beloved husband; a daughter Donna Joan; an infant grandson; and three brothers, Ernest, Carl and Glenn Hansen preceded her in death.

Memorial may be made to the Business and Professional Women's Reforestation Program, in care of Cora Innis, 1605 Birth, Casper, WY 82604.

Bustard's Funeral Home and Crematory was in charge of arrangements.

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